Meet the world’s oldest living man

Guinness World Records just named the oldest living man.

At age 112 and 178 days, Israel Kristal was given his certificateon Friday at his home in Haifa, Israel.

“I don’t know the secret for long life,” Kristal said. “I believe that everything is determined from above and we shall never know the reasons why. There have been smarter, stronger and better looking men then me who are no longer alive. All that is left for us to do is to keep on working as hard as we can and rebuild what is lost.”

In his 112 years, he’s gone through quite a lot. Born on Sept. 15, 1903, hesurvived WWI, where hewasseparated from his parents. In 1920, he moved to Poland to work in the family confectionerybusiness. However, the Nazis invaded Poland and Kristalhad to move with his family in 1939. Four years later, he was sent to Auschwitz. He lost his wife and two children in the Holocaust.

Kristal was rescued by the Allies in May 1945. He weighed only 81 pounds at the time of his rescue. In 1950, he moved to Haifa, Israel with his second wife and their son. Ever since then, Kristal has continued to grow his family and business until he retired. He still lives in Haifa today with his family.

“Mr. Kristal’s achievement is remarkable,” Marco Frigatti, head of records for Guinness World Records, said. “He can teach us all an important lesson about the value of life and how to stretch the limits of human longevity.”

According to Guinness World Records,Yasutaro Koide of Japan wasthe previous oldest man but hedied in January 2016 at the age of 112 years and 312 days. The oldest living person is Susannah Mushatt Jones of the U.S. who is 115 years and 249 days old. Jeanne Calment of France was the oldest person to ever live. She died at 122 years and 164 days in 1997.